Button finishes fifth in Brazil, claims 2009 F1 world championship

October 18, 2009 23:37 IST

Jenson Button and his Brawn GP team were crowned Formula One champions on Sunday in a Brazilian Grand Prix won by Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber.

Button finished fifth to become his country's 10th world champion, with closest rival and team mate Rubens Barrichello suffering a late puncture and crossing the line eighth after starting his home race on pole position.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, the 22-year-old German who had needed to finish in the top two to have a chance of staying in the reckoning, took fourth place.

Brawn, who had needed only a point to be sure of the championship, become the first team to take the constructors' crown in their first full season.

Poland's Robert Kubica was second for BMW-Sauber with McLaren's outgoing world champion Lewis Hamilton taking third place after starting 17th.